Eduardo Barraza scores with this video of Joe at the latest prisoner parade

Sheriff Joe's ready to rumble with the Rev. Al Sharpton. At least that's the smack the sheriff was talking the other day to journalist and editor Eduardo Barraza of the grassroots Web magazine Barriozona.com. Barraza made Joe's latest inmate march last week, during which Joe enjoys some of the off-color humor of his prisoners as they're transferred from one facility to another.

Jeez, Joe, why don't you fly him out here yourself, if you're so eager for a face-off? Joe knows the sort of national media attention Sharpton commands. But the geriatric gendarme's ready to play it off as sour grapes if Al doesn't make it to Sand Land.

Soon, America's Voice joined the fray with an e-mail/fax campaign to the show's producers. Both actions were a success given the limited amount of time involved. Over 1,000 letters were faxed to Colbert's producers, according to AV. Reza says the protest drew 30 souls, despite the weather. He explained that the producers came out to talk to the demonstrators prior to the taping, and asked what sort of questions they wanted asked of Joe.

With another day or so lead time, I bet they could have gotten a couple of hundred outside Colbert's doors. In one way, Joe may enjoy the infamy such protesters bring. On the other hand, where Joe was once seen as an anti-crime icon by the media at large, he's now being viewed with increasing skepticism and derision, as on Monday's The Colbert Report.

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